At the beginning of the year, US President Trump shocked the world with his turning away from Europe and his fraternization with warmonger Putin. With the imposition of punitive tariffs, he further fueled global tensions. In Austria, meanwhile, 137 days after the parliamentary elections, the first three-party government was sworn in: the People's Party, the Social Democrats, and the NEOS agreed on a program. Meanwhile, in the Middle East, the inhumane negotiations for the release of the last Israeli hostages held by Hamas continued. Seven medals – two of them gold – for Austria at least provided some sporting joy at the Ski World Championships in Saalbach. The author duo Christoph Matzl and Christoph Budin have summarized the 'stories of the year' in the familiar style of the daily 'Kronen Zeitung', adding the most fitting commentary and illustrating it with the best photos. Biography (Christoph Matzl) Christoph Matzl was born in Warth/Lower Austria in 1962. He has been an editor in the local newsroom of the "Kronen Zeitung" since 1992. New product